Shakespeare said "All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players." Quite frankly, I’d rather be backstage with the crew than out front with the cast… the crew has so much more fun, and has more to offer.
Every so often I step outside of myself and look at the world around me, and realize that I hang out with some very cool and interesting people. None of us are people of note in the grand scheme of things, but naturally we’re all very individual personalities nonetheless. There are some very common traits we all seem to share: intelligence, open mindedness and a rather eclectic taste in what we find entertaining.
For example, one these folks is a die-hard metal band enthusiast (but not all metal bands, mind you) and would be more than happy to discuss with you for hours on end the virtues of that musical genre. This same guy will then turn around and talk to you about the time he spent working in the theatre and share with you his love of modern and classical musicals. The more you think back to the conversations about metal bands, the more you realize that a lot of it was concerning the proficiency of the musicians, and detailed discussions of how hard they work to master their art, not "Hey bra, they fucking ROCKED!" He has even found in his travels performers that combine the finest elements of hard, sharp edged music with the poetry and grace of elegant storytelling and clever orchestration – bands that will never see mainstream airplay, but are oh so much more deserving of it than those who do. His attention to detail and ear for music knows no bounds or bias, and he isn’t hung up on any one style. He may not like everything he hears, but he can appreciate the work and instrumental skills that went into it.
Another close friend of mine, a young gentleman of twenty we’ll call "Zygote" for the sake of this immediate paragraph. Zygote is another media fan with a voracious appetite for music and movies. On the surface, his musical preferences seem to be a more alternative-rock-rap flavor. If you listen to his playlist long enough, you’ll be a little taken aback by a few things you hear – Harry Nilsson’s Coconut song, movie themes, etc. He also startled me one day by asking me if I had Guys and Dolls on DVD, knowing that I have a fair collection of musicals in my library, and another day snatched The Lion King off the shelf and started watching it with the claim that it was one of his favorites. By this point I shouldn’t be surprised by what Zygote might do or say. He’s one of those hyper-intelligent, "I could give a crap what you think about me or the things I do" kind of folks who will do calculus in their heads for fun, and prove that there is more to a person’s personality and character than just the sum of their years. Those years are still relatively few, but there is a strength of will that exists there that you’d be hard pressed to find in most forty year old professionals.
My own taste in film will bounce from Gilliam to Woo, Scorsese to Kurosawa, Tarantino to Kubrick. I firmly believe that a movie can completely blow chunks, and still stand slightly on technical merit. I am a fan of the stage – drama, comedy and musicals alike. The only two genres I haven’t developed a taste for are opera and ballet (I’m so low-brow, what can I say). The music I listen to ranges across the charts in both artist and style. I’ll swing from a Vonnegut novel one day, to a Lobo comic book the next.
I don’t expect everyone to enjoy the same things I do, nor do I expect to groove on the same things you do. I do, however, expect to be able to have a decent conversation with you about any of it and have both of us part ways a little wiser for it, rather than agreeing to disagree because it’s not your or my bag.
Most of our society has come to the incorrect conclusion that once you reach a certain age you should stop learning new things. They think that their mind is like a door, and should be closed, locked and barred against the outside world lest the world get in and rearrange the furniture. Unfortunately, this happens very early for some people, and others could really use the redecoration at any age. Your mind should be a revolving door, letting shared information and experiences in, and allowing it out to be shared and experienced with those around you. When you stop learning new things, you stop living – in the metaphorical sense. Plant my body in the ground when I stop learning, ’cause I’m already dead and just haven’t stopped moving around yet.
I have a plethora of nieces and nephews, and they’re growing to be exceptional people. The two youngest – one each niece and nephew – are in their middle teens right now and are showing great promise of becoming intelligent, well educated human beings that refuse to walk the middle-line. They’re very distinct and individual in their tastes and interests and keep their minds open to new things, even the wacky stuff that dear old Uncle DmentD throws their way.
My wife and I share a great many interests, but remain individual in our own specific tastes. It’s what makes us who we are, those little differences. Where our paths cross is divine, but I enjoy the discovery of the traits that are uniquely hers, and revel in the features I know and love.
I started with a quote from Shakespeare, and I’ll end with one from Aunte Mame: "Life is a banquet, and most poor suckers are starving to death!"
Carpe that Diem, baby.